Car-coupling.



W. KELSO.

CAR COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8.1917.

z w Z L m l 0 9 W m 1 J m M K M M S ay 7 SE Mm m m P w W. KELSO.

.CAR COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED JUNE'BI 1917.

Patented-Sept. 4, 1917 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J "i n H: I F 2a a I 70 f8 W. KELSO.

CAR COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8. 1917.

Lgg lw Patented Sept. 4,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

@lvwemfoz lUTE @ATE@ WILLIAM KELSO, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MCGONWAY 85 TORLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A GORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

wearer.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. a, ram.

Application filed. June 8, 1917. Serial No. 173,565.

of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the construction of car couplersfor railway vehicles and particularly to couplers which are designed to be especially suited for application to passenger cars.

Generally stated, theobject of the invention is to produce a car coupler of the pivoted head type which shall be strong, durable, compact, and easily assembled, and in which the component members or elements are 'so combined and related that the various operations of the mechanism, and particularly the operation of throwing the knuckle open, may be readily and efficiently performed. This object is attained by the employment of'certainstructural features and combinations of features which will be hereinafter pointed out and claimed, the principal ones being certain relationships between the coupler knuckle, its locking mechanism, the pivoted stem and r the upright knuckle-opener lever for coiiperating with the knuckle tail to effect an opening rotation of the knuckle when the locking mechanism is caused to perform an extended unlocking movement.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in'the claims,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a car coupler embodying the invention, a portion of the coupler stem and portions of the uncoupling mechanism being omitted.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal central section of the coupler,the knucklebeing shown in plan.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, a portion of the coupler head being broken away to disclose the coupler locking mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line M, Fi 2.

Fig. 5 is a section. on the line 5M3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing in elevation the lock for the knuckle and the associated device for preventing accidental unlocking of said lock.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the coupler lock.

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the device for locking the lock against accidental unlocking.

In the drawings the coupler head is indicated by the numeral 1, the knuckle, which is pivotally mounted on the head by a knuckle pin 2, is indicated by the numeral 8, while 1 indicates the lock for the knuckle and 5 is the knuckle-opener lever by which the knuckle may be rotated to open position.

The coupler head 1 is pivotally connected to the coupler stem, as'for example by means of the pivot pin 6, and is preferably composed of upper and lower spaced plates or bars 7 which are adapted to have mounted thereon a mechanism for centering the coupler head 1 with respect to the stem, a suitable form of such centering mechanism being described in my Patent No. 950,485, issued March 1, 1910.

The tail. of the knuckle 3 is preferably provided upon its upper and lower surfaces adjacent to its inner end with lugs or shoulders S and 9, respectively, which are adapted to engage corresponding rearwardly facing lugs or shoulders 10 and 11 upon the interior of the coupler head when the knuckle is in closed position. In order to permit an up right knuckle-opener lever 5 to be employed to perform effectively the function of rotating the knuckle to open position, the lugs or shoulders 8 and 9 upon the knuckle tail are located well to the rear of the knuckle pin 2 so that the corresponding lugs or shoulders 10 and 11 formed on the interior of the coupler head in advance of the said lugs 8 and 9 may be disposed suflieiently far rearwardly to allow an upright knuckleopener lever 5 to be pivotally mounted upon the knuckle side of the coupler head 1 to the rear of the Master Car Builders contour line regulating the configuration of the forward portion of the coupler head 1. As well shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings, when the parts are in locked position the lower arm of the upright bell erank lever 5 is housed in a pocket or recess 12 formed in the coupler head 1 and opening toward theknu ckle tail. The upper portion of the knuckle-opener lever 5 operates within a housing 13 which, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 'to-5, inclusive, is open toward the guardarm side of the coupler head. The knuckleopener 5 is pivotally mounted upon'a pin 14; which extends longitudinally through suitable perforations in the upwardly exziccommodate the knuckle 3 without interfering' with the stem of the coupler, the parts are preferably so related that the tail of the knuckle is adapted to overlap and swing between the plates or bars 7 constitutingthe stem. This enables the pivot pin 6 to be positioned farther forwardly than would otherwise be possible and consequently permits a decrease in the longitudinal dimension of the coupler head 1.

-The face 16 of the knuckle tail which engages the look a is preferably parallel to the longitudinal axis of the coupler head.

the longitudinal axis of the coupler head 1 when the knuckle is in locked position, the

force communicated to said look from said knuckle during pulling being thus directed transversely of said coupler head. The abutment or look engaging face 17011 the coupler head for resisting the lateral thrust ofthe lock t is also preferably parallel to Instead of bein formed with a recess or C pocket to recelve the lower end of the knuckle-opener lever 5, the rear face 18 of the tail of the knuckle is formed as a continuous surface sloping without abrupt turns or angles from the inner end of the knuckle tail forwardly and toward the -guard-arm side of the coupler head and merging with the periphery of the hub 19 of the knuckle. v

{results in making the knuckle tail of wedgelike shape "preventing the knuckle 3 from belng pulled out of the coupler head should This construction not only the kn'uckle pin 2 be broken in service, but it also has the advantage of allowing the knuckle-opener lever 5 to engage the rear of the knuckle tail at a pomt insuring an efficient application of power thereto by an upright-bell-crank knuckle-opener, as well also as the advantage of minimizing the grinding action between the knuckle-opener and the knuckle tail. 7 The lock 4 that is preferably employed is of the following nature: It is provided with an extension 20 which projects downwardly through the lower wall of the coupler head. On the rear side and near the lower end of this projection is a shoulder 21 which is adapted to be seated-upon a cooperating lock-set seat or shoulder 22,- to thereby support the lock it in raised or lock-set position. Formed in the lock 4 and opening through the top and rear walls thereof is a recess 23 that receives a member'2 l by which the lock may be connected to the uncoupling lever 25 and whichalso serves as a lock-tothe-lock for preventing the lock 4 from accidentally jarring to unlocked position while the coupler is in service. :The'

1nember24; is provided with a rearwardly extending lug 26 which is adapted to extend under the surface or shoulder 27 ontheiinterior of the coupled head when therlock 4 is'in locked position. Until the lug '26 is withdrawn from beneath the locking shoulder 27 the lock 4: cannot be raised. This withdrawal of the lug 24 from beneath the shoulder-.27 to permit theclock a to be unlocked is accomplished by the uncoupling lever 25 whose-initial uncoupling movement causes the member 2 1 to be drawn upwardly in the recess or pocket 28 of the lockuntil the lock-to-the-lock projection 26 clears the cooperating shoulder 27 on the coupler head. Thereafter the continued upwardpull of the cranked uncoupling lever 25; upon the member 24 causes the lock it to execute an upward movement sufficient either to unlock the knuckle '3 or to actuate thefknuckleopener lever 5 after the knuckle has been -unlocked, as the case maybe. 'Whenthelock I t has returned to locked :position the T116111- ber 2aslides-idown the inclined lower wall a of the lock recess 23 and the locking nut 26 is projected beneath the locking face or, shoulder 27 on thecoupler head 1.

At its upper end and toward its forward face thelock. 4 is provided with a ilaterally extending lug 28 which is adapted-to engage the short arm 29 of the upright bell crank lever5, and thereby cause'a knuckleopening rotation of said lever upon its pivot pin 14. Thelug 28 .rests upon the top wall of the coupler head when the parts are in locked positio n-aswell shown in Fig. 4,

thus supporting the lock l and limiting its downward movement; and because the location. of the lug 28 at the top ofgthelock permits a minimum 'clearance above the-latter to suiiice for the performance-,of an extended unlocking movement sufficient torotate the knuckle opener =5 and yopen the knuckle 3; a vertically sliding lock and an upright ,bell-crank knuckle-opener Ilever 1 operated thereby may-be employed practically in couplers designed tobe applied be neath the platforms of passenger-cars.

Then the lock 4: islifted it is suspended on the member 2 1 in such relation to its center of gravity as to cause the lock-set shoulder 21 thereof to move over the lockset seat 22 upon the coupler head. The rearward movement of the lock to bring about the engagement of the lock-set shoulders is also positively effected by the contact of the lug 28 of the lock with the upper arm 29 of the knuckle-opener 5, the location of the lug 28 toward the forward face of the lock causing the downwardly extending legf20 to, tip or swing rearwardly when the lug 28 is pulled upwardly against the knuckleopener lever 5 while the knuckle 3 remains in closed position.

As shown clearly in Figs. 4 and 6 the lower face 30 of the lock 1 inclines upwardly toward the knuckle 3. When the knuckle rotates outwardly after the lock has been set in lock-set position the tail of the knuckle engages the inclined surface 30 and disengages the lock-set shoulder 21 from the lock-set seat 22 upon the coupler head. The lock 1 rides upon the tail of the knuckle until the knuckle 3 is fully closed when the lock drops to locked position.

The upcoupling mechanism illustrated in the drawings, and which it is preferred to employ for actuating the lock 1, is fully illustrated and described in the Joseph Kelso and William Kelso Patent No. 1,032,066, issued July 9, 1912. The uncou pling lever 25 of this mechanism is journaled in a plate or bracket 81 which is piv otally mounted upon the upper face of the coupler head 1 by means of the pivot pin 6 that connects the coupler head to the cou' pler stem. The uncoupling lever 25 is rotatable in the journals of its supporting bracket to actuate the lock 4:.

I claim:

1. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head, of a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, a lock for said knuckle, and a knuckle-opener device mounted on said coupler head, said lock having a lug adapted to engage and actuate said knuckleopener device, said lug being adapted to engage the top wall of the coupler head to support said lock when in locked position.

2. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head, of a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, a vertically sliding lock for said knuckle projecting upwardly through the coupler head, and a bell-crank knuckle opener lever having its upper arm projecting above said lock, said lock having a lug which extends outside of said coupler head when the parts are in locked position and which is adapted to engage and actuate said knuckle opener lever.

3. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head provided with a knuckle re ceiving recess, of a coupler stem extending into a rearwardly open socket in said head and pivotally connected thereto, a knuckle rotatably mounted on said head, and means for locking said knuckle in coupled position, the tail of said knuckle being adapted to overlap a portion of said stem, and said stem receiving socket forming a continuation of the knuckle receiving recess of said head.

4. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head provided with a knuckle receiving recess and with a coupler stem receiving socket, of a coupler stem involving spaced members extending into said socket and pivotally connected to said head, a knuckle pivotally mounted on said head, and means for locking said knuckle in coupled position, said socket forming a continuation of said knuckle receiving recess, and a portion of the tail of said knuckle being adapted to pass between said spaced members.

5. In a car coupler, the combination with coupler head, of a knuckle and a coupler stem both of which are pivotally connected to said head, and a lock for retaining said knuckle in coupled position, said knuckle being provided with a hub and having a vertical lock-engaging face normally extending longitudinally parallel to the line of draft and having its rear wall sloping forwardly toward the guard-arm side of said coupler head and merging with the hub of said knuckle, and said coupler head being provided with an abutment for supporting said lock against the forces communicated thereto by the knuckle, said lockengaging face of said knuckle and said abutment on said coupler head being in advance of the axis of the pivotal connection of said head and stem and being upon opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said head passing through said pivotal axis.

6. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head, of a knuckle, a lock for said knuckle, and an upright knuckle-opener lever, said knuckle having a hub and a tail gradually increasing in width from said hub rearwardly to the lock engaging face of said knuckle, the rear face of said knuckle tail sloping without abrupt change of direction from the inner end of said tail forwardly toward the guard arm side of the coupler head and merging with said hub, and the lower portion of said knuckleopener lever engaging and cooperating with said sloping rear face of said knuckle tail to rotate the knuckle to open position.

7. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head formed upon its knuckle side with a pocket adapted to receive the lower arm of an upright bell-crank knuckle-opener lever, of a knuckle having a tail formed with a rear face which slopes forwardly toward the guard arm side of said coupler head, and an upright bell-crank knuckleopener lever pivotally mounted on said coupler head and having a lower arm which engages said sloping face of said knuckle tail and is adapted to extend into said pocket in said head when the knuckle is in locked position.

8. A coupler head having upper and lower *3 pivot lugs adapted to receive the hub of a coupler knuckle between them, and having rearwardly facingshoulders on the upper and lower walls of said head adapted to cooperate with a knuckle having corresponding shoulders formed on the tail thereof, 10 and having pivot pin openings and a recess to the rear of saidshoulders adapted to receive the forward end of a coupler stem.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

v WILLIAM KELSO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. i 

